May was a huge step up for us; we tried our second extreme luxury bed, the Savoir No. 2, also known as The Savoy. Completely handmade in England for each customer, Sara Kate and I slept on a medium tension model that was sprung equally for both of us (we were both invited to come try a floor model months ahead of time). Our experience? We both really liked the bed, but had different reactions to how lumpy the bed was at first (it settled a lot over the course of the month.) We agreed on one thing: this bed REALLY moves.

Savoir is a UK based company that started up in 1905 by making beds for the Savoy Hotel in London after the owner declared he wanted the best beds in town for his hotel. Prior to 1997, you could only buy these beds through the hotel, but since then the company split off and has a large presence in Europe. They only opened a US showroom, in New York City, last year.

In the interest of full disclosure, the delivery of these beds is a big part of the experience, and we got the full treatment. Savoir not only delivered the bed, but threw in luxury bedding and a bottle of champagne (they said customers often buy new bedding with their beds). When we came home that night it made quite an impression. Personal, white glove delivery is standard. Not sure about the champagne. This is what we tried out:

While all of this added to the experience, we quickly swapped out the sateen for our own linen sheets. They were just too slippery.

It's worth adding, however, that making a big deal out of this point of contact made a distinct impression. Not only is bed delivery a very sensitive event, it's also a huge marketing opportunity and all of the attention this bed comes with definitely adds to the personal experience.

Sleep Experience

• Excellent (but not at first)

You have to get used to this bed. For a $15k bed, we were both amazed at what a lumpy first impression it made. The horsehair topper settled big-time over our thirty days. Soft, breathable and plush with many layers of natural material, I loved falling into it at night, but it did take getting used to. Sara found the way the horsehair topper "settled" uncomfortable as it created a ridge between us at first and made her feel as if she were rolling towards the edge. This went away by the end of the month.

That said, we both slept very well after the first week, my occasional morning back pains disappeared and our body temperatures were never too hot or too cold. The sleep is very soft and deep, which I prefer, but Sara is more of a firm surface aficionado. This is important to know when choosing a bed, and the Savoir can be built for different firmnesses within the same bed.

Construction

• Amazing

The Savoir is a "bespoke" handmade bed, which means that it is built to your specifications in their factory in London. Totally traditional in build, with layers of natural materials on top of hand tied springs, this bed will rock your world if your eco-minded. If you just like well made things, you'll appreciate all the care that goes into one of these things.

From the Savoir website:

The difference between a Savoir Bed and any other will become apparent over many years of comfort. The fact that 60 hours of craftsmanship goes into one of our king size beds allows us to make best use of the finest materials. Screwing a frame together takes longer than using a pneumatic staple gun, but the time taken is reflective in their respective lives.

The materials? FSC certified knot-free pine and beech, lambswool, cotton, horsehair and steel springs. I took a lot of pics of the bed being set-up as the thing looks as good without bedding as it does dressed.

Price

• Aspirational

This bed is a lot of money, but if actually can afford to buy one, you're likely not to feel that it's overpriced. While I'm sure there's a healthy markup in there, this is a lot of bed and you DO feel like you're lying on something that's going to get better and dearer with time. It had a totally different presence in our bedroom than most of the other beds - like a big, solid anchor in our home.

If you're big into having a great bed, really crave natural materials, this type of soft, deep sleep and don't need to buy a car or send a kid to college this year, this could be a great choice.

Can you get a Savoir for less? Yes, Savoir makes two other models that are lower in price (often bought for guest rooms!), which will allow you to dip your toes in these waters, but they're still going to run you a lot more than the typical $1-2k beds that we see most often.

Do you sleep on a Savoir bed? If yes, please let me know in the comments how it's going for you.

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Bed Rankings to Date - 9.26.11

(Best overall sleep experience according to both him and her - i.e. two thumbs up)

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Maxwell left teaching in 2001 to start Apartment Therapy as a design business helping people to make their homes more beautiful, organized AND healthy. The website started up in 2004 with the help of his brother, Oliver.